Picture That: Knights & Castles

I used this book as an introduction to the middle ages for our 7.5 year old homeschooled daughter. She couldn't get enough of poring over the real art images and descriptions. Making art relevant to children helps make it accessible to them. Seeing images from history created "in the moment" (give or take) makes the art come alive and presents history in an entirely new light. It also encourages children to look at other works of art more critically, to ask questions about it (rather than passively view it) and consider what art can tell us about history. This was our first look at this series, but my daughter has requested more. I highly recommend this book!

The title of this book, Knights and Castles, is a little bit misleading, for the contents of the book cover so much more than merely that. The author does write about what it meant to be a knight and live in a castle, but he also covers many aspects of life in Middle Ages Europe (such as life on a farm, games children played, banquets and jousts)in a way that is interesting and easily accessible to young people. Knights and Castles is one of the "Picture That!" series by Two-Can Press. I love the idea behind this series: the books are illustrated not with modern artist's drawings or photographs of artifacts, but with actual art from the time period. In this case the book is filled with beautiful, detailed paintings from throughout the Middle Ages. Each painting offers fascinating glimpes into another time if attention is paid to the details within.Books on the Middle Ages abound for young readers, but this one is one of the best. Even as an adult I enjoyed reading it (and looking at the pictures!) immensely. Highly recommended.